sluggo Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 I had the wonderful privilege of flying 7817 here at LRF yesterday. This is the aircraft on which Col "Budda" Caldwell earned the Air Force Cross. I wondered if there are retirement plans for this old warship and how Bill is doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff Millen Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Tim, are you sure of that tail #? I think it was 62-1787 that was shot up at An Loc and John Sanders was killed and Charlie Schaub should have been awarded the MOH....The crew did a great job in recovering the plane at TSN and deserved the AFC. Also assigned to LR AFB is 62-1788...another well decorated airframe...crew was awarded the Silver Star for action on the last day of SVN hostilities. And about a year ago the crew recover the plane and brought it home safely after having a severe 4 engine roll back. Muff Millen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sluggo Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 I was mistaken on the tail no. It was the Caldwell aircraft however. There is an Air Force Cross above the crew entrance door as well as the crew list. It flies smoothly as a fine watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
154load Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Sluggo, it is nice to see that the AD has not taken the nose art off of that airplane. You are the reason I worked so hard to have the nose art put on it. I wanted every person who had the priviledge of walking through that crew entrance door to see just what they would be flying. It is a living piece of history. To answer your questions. Yes the airplane is slated to go to the AF Museum in Dayton and Bill Caldwell is a retired O-6 living in O'Fallon IL. You will find a thread on this website called Spare 617/62-1787 which will tell you some of the story. You can also google the article "A Tennessee Loadmaster" which was written by Sam McGowan. Although the article does not reference the actual tail number, this is its story. KEEP THIS STORY ALIVE! Brian---154 TRS Load Section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
154load Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Tim, are you sure of that tail #? I think it was 62-1787 that was shot up at An Loc and John Sanders was killed and Charlie Schaub should have been awarded the MOH....The crew did a great job in recovering the plane at TSN and deserved the AFC. Also assigned to LR AFB is 62-1788...another well decorated airframe...crew was awarded the Silver Star for action on the last day of SVN hostilities. And about a year ago the crew recover the plane and brought it home safely after having a severe 4 engine roll back. Muff Millen I was flying on 62-1788 last Friday night headed to Maxwell for a fun filled weekend TDY. While running the decent checklist we noticed that there was a vertical support structure in the tail that was snapped in half! Needless to say we went home alpa 3. These old hercs are doing the best they can, but they sure are getting old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davis Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Sorry to here that, But you know us guys that Crewed those baby are getting old to and doing the best we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Davenport Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Easter Bunny drops -- remember them well :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey_G Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 I've flown just about every LR green tail since 2008. Now that I am leaving, I wish I would have done more research on these birds to see what they have been through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdaley Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 I wish I had taken a picture of every herk I flew! BTW where are you going after LR? Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey_G Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Leaving for Mildenhall at the end of the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-28pilot Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I went back to Vietnam arriving one year ago today. I was a C-130A pilot with the 35th TAS out of Naha 1969-1971. I went back in the C-130E with the 61st TAS out of Little Rock in May 1972. Driving through An Loc, I stopped to visit the famous "soccer field" that we dropped CDS everyday in May and June 1972. They have built a school there now; but, the whole town knows the story. A also visited Loc Ninh, Tay Ninh and Bu Dop. The next day we went to Dong Xoia where the runway is now a major boulevard. Qui Nhon is the same way. The last time I visited this sight someone had put a pictire up of Dalat Cam Ly showing a C-130 on the ground that had been damaged in a landing incident. That was a 35th bird. If anyone has a copy, I would appcreciate getting it. I also visited Kon Tum, NhaTrang and Danang. Many of the revetments and hangars that loolked like quonset huts are still in place. I have attached a picture of my youngest daughter Emily and I walking down the abandoned airstrip at Bu Dop where I had some challenging times during the invasion of Cambodia in the Spring of 1970. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfeatherngill Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 How neat is that! I'd like to go back someday myself. BTW I went with the 61 TAS in May 1972 also as a loadmaster from the 2nd Aerial Port, and made some of the drops, I bet we flew together at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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